05/19/1989 Regular MeetingKodiak Emergency Services Council
May 19, 1989 @ 5:00 p.m.
Kodiak, Alaska
EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL
WAYNE DOLEZAL (FISH & GAME): Changes have been made in draft.
RICHARD FORD (USCG): Reports we have are in Afognak area and are consistent
with what we found yesterday. Uyak is consistent but a lot of free-floating
oil in Spiradon. Some of the flights are still out. Skimmer from Shuyak will
be moved to Big Bay tomorrow, and the one in Kuprianof should be rigged up and
ready. Will get something in Uyak as soon as possible. A lot of mousse and
sheen running to the head of the Bay. We reemphasized boom boats to deploy
boom when they see it. We told them the boom is critical and to deploy the
boom they can.
JEROME SELBY (KIB MAYOR): Could a skimmer be moved to Uyak?
JIM WADE (EXXON): Yes, that is a possibility. The area that has the most
mousse will get the skimmer. Wherever it will be most effective.
SELBY: If they are working on mousse in Kuprianof, leave it there. But, get
another one to Uyak and get oil out of the water before it goes to the shore.
The oil is as far south as the Trinity Islands. Sheen and one tar ball at
Chignik.
GIL BLINN (PARKS): We are in the process of putting temporary radio receivers
in so we can talk to our people. We are thinking in terms of long range summer
plans but nothing complete. There was a bear shooting from a Veco boat at
Kukak. A Fish & Game biologist is on the way and has an investigator with him.
We were told the bear was charging. I am taking Jay Wells place. Tony
Schetzsle will be the new Incident Commander.
JAY RODSTEIN (NOAA) read his report.
ROY OVERSTREET (NOAA): I went with the SCAT team to Panamarioff Bay, and at
the northwest shore we saw one site lightly oiled and splattered and adjacent
site a little more moderate. On second site was more than 30 dead birds. At
Melida Bay, no oil. Just south of Steep Cape, a long crescent shaped beach had
tnoderate bathtub ring at high tide. Mostly debris with oil. In fact, the
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second beach had a big patch of kelp matted with oil. Birds looked like they
had been there a couple weeks.
LARRY NICHOLSON (DEPT. OF FISH & GAME): The next task force meeting is Monday
night at 6:30. Saturday, Exxon is going to have a meeting with this group at
4:00.
SELBY: I suggest one of the pods in the auditorium.
DOLEZAL: Four whales on Tugidak Island (one of the Trinity Islands). Baleen
completely coated inside. Fish & Game and a biologist took tissue, stomach,
and intestine samples to see if it had ingested oil. One was heavily oiled
behind flippers. The last two were found to be oiled. I am not sure about the
first two found.
WADE: I am filling in for Jack (Rickner). We had three supervisors deployed
yesterday to each beach cleanup team. On the oil spotted today in Big Bay, we
had boats there with boom and deployed it. We are also dispatchinga boat to
Fowl Bay to protect it with boom.
SELBY: One thing we want to follow up on is the helicopter issue. We have
suggested three helicopters be available with one assigned to Fish & Game for
fishery management, and the other two for beach clean up and support for Park
Service.
HERMAN BUEKER (CITY OF KODIAK): The Parks are having problems moving people
around.
FORD: I have asked for two more 212 helicopters to fly back and forth across
the Shelikof.
WADE: Jack mentioned that he had intended to discuss that with Jim Nall. Nall
is scheduled to arrive at eight tonight.
SELBY: Larry's (Nicholson) request was turned down. It is one of the things
that from our standpoint needs action on.
NICHOLSON: It is important that we get better air transport. Otherwise, we
will just close the fisheries.
WADE: I know you have a need, and we have funneled those requests through
Valdez.
SELBY: I will be discussing it with Mr. Stevens on Tuesday.
NICHOLSON: To what degree are the military helicopters used?
FORD: Quite a bit, but we have largely looked to Exxon to supply. Ours are
dedicated as a resource to use but we are running out of helicopter resources
and have to go back to Exxon.
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SELBY: We need some help.
DOLEZAL: Referring back to Overstreet's report, site three has a lot more
mousse at low tide. That is a seal pupping beach.
RODSTEIN: We aren't finding penetrations.
DOLEZAL: What we have here is fine grain sand. Recks had rolled and jt�e
covered like a sugar donut.
DOLEZAL PRESENTED CHANGES IN PLAN DRAFT: All of Commander Ford's suggestions
have been incorporated. Appendixes 2 and 3 were changed.
SELBY: The cover letter is here to be signed by the agencies.
BOB BRODIE (CITY OF KODIAK MAYOR): I was down with Dennis Kelso talking to
canneries, and they expressed some concern in early DEC regulation plan
practicabilities. They have reservations about permanent DEC people in their
plant.
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